Electric fixture-supporting and connecting device



May 7, 1935.

J. MANGIN ELECTRIC FIXTURE SUPPORTING AND CONNECTING DEVICE File d May27, 1951 Patented May 7, 1935 UNITED STATES ELECTRIC FIXTURE-SUPPORTINGAND CONNECTING DEVICE JamesMangin, New Brunswick, N. J assignor to NewBrunswick Electric Supply Company, New Brunswick, N. 1., a corporationof New Jersey Application May 2'1, 1931, Serial No. 540,407

SClaims.

The present invention relates to devices for supporting and electricallyconnecting fixtures to outlet boxes, the principal object of theinvention being to provide a device of this nature I which enables readyand easy mounting of a fixture without the use of screws, bolts or otherauxiliary fastening means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this naturewhich is simple in construction andwhich readily lends itself toeconomical commercial manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the classspecified which may be used by any unskilled person.

An important feature of the invention is the novel fixture-supportingmember which may be formed from a single piece of material and which isprovided with portions adapted to interlock with a wall of the outletbox for attachment to the same without the use of auxiliary fasteningmeans.

A further feature of the invention is the specially designed receptacleand plug combination which serves to electrically connect the fixture tothe conductors leading to the outlet box. These elements are constructedso as to prevent their engagement in any except one relation so thatcorrect polarity is assured in cases where polarity is important oressential.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description when read in connection with theaccompanyin drawing, in which Fig. l is a front view of an outlet boxhaving the elements constituting the invention assoelated therewith; thecover plate or strap of the box being removed for clarity ofillustration; Fig. 2. is a sectional view along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 withthe cover plate indicated by broken lines;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along line 3-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fixturesupporting member of thedevice;

Fig. 5 is a view showing the fixture-supporting member after it isstamped or cut from a single piece of material and before forming thesame by means of a suitable die;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the plug of the device; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 of a modified form of thedevice.

vReferring to the drawing, there is shown in Figs. 1 to 3 a standardoutlet box I having the usual apertured lugs 2 and the usual knock-outopening 3 in the rear wall thereof. As is well known, the purpose oflugs 2 is to enable the attachment to the box of its cover plate orstrap (shown in broken lines in Figs. 2 and 3). In accordance with thepresent invention, I provide a novellyconstructed fixture support 4which is adapted for mounting upon the rear wall 01' the box in a mannerto be fully explained hereinafter. In further accordance with theinvention, I provide a specially designed receptacle 5 which may besupported from the cover plate of the box as will be clearly set forthhereinafter. 1

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing, the fixturesupporting member is clearlyillustrated and comprises a flat face '6, a, pair of legs 1 and 8extending therefrom, and threaded arcuate opposite sides 9 and Illextending transversely between the legs. As illustrated in Fig. 5, thismember is preferably formed by first stamping or punching it from apiece of suitable sheet metal. By means. of this operation a centrallydisposed aperture II is cut and the peripheral edge 20 (see Figs. 2 and3) is pressed down. Slot i2 is also cut in the member, the slot beingdisposed adjacent one end of the piece. At the same time a spreader armI3 is cut out adjacent the other end, the side tabs 9 and III are shapedand the threads pressed therein, and pairs of notches H and ii are cutadjacent the ends to provide suitable feet l8 and II. It will also benoted that the central portion of this member is restricted in width toprovide pairs of shoulders I8 and I9, the purpose of which will beclearly set forth later. It is to be understood that the member asillustrated in Fig. 5 may be formed in a single operation.

'After the supporting member has been formed, as illustrated, it may beproperly bent to the form shown in Fig. '4 in a second operation. Inthis operation, the stamped piece is bent along the broken lines of Fig.5. The internal surface provided by inturned edge 20 may be threadedbefore or after this operation. It will be apparent then that by meansof a few simple operations, this member of the device may be completelyformed. This is an important feature of the invention and enhances itsvalue from a commercial standpoint since it may be economicallyutilized.

As illustrated clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, the fixture-supporting memberis adapted to co-act with the knock-out opening in the rear wall of thebox in such manner that the member and rear wall are interlocking. Sincethe supportiii ing member is made of suitable sheet metal, legs 1 and 8thereof are resilient and may be pressed toward each other. The memberis so constructed that the normal spacing of the lower ends of the legsis such that the feet thereof can only be inserted through opening 3 ofthe box by pressing the legs toward each other. When this is done, thefeet may be easily inserted through the opening of the box by incliningthe member in the proper position relative to the box wall. Feet l6 andI! of the member are shaped to conform with the opening of. the-box, andwhen inserted therethrough they extend behind the rear wall of the boxand engage the surface thereof immediately adjacent the opening. At thistime, the releasing of'the legs of. the supporting member allows them toresiliently spring away from each other. and. the edge of the box wallabout opening 3 enters notches I4 and I5 to lock the member to the boxwall. The purpose of spreader arm I3 is to prevent subsequent looseningof the supporting member. This arm is now bent so as to extend betweenthe legs of the member with its restricted end extending through slot I2of leg 8 (see Fig. 4). The-restricted end of the spreader arm entersslot l2 and the shoulders of the arm engage the inner surface of leg 8on each side of the slot. When the spreader arm is sooperativelypositioned, it will stay in such position and will at all times functionto press the legs apart and keep the feet and. notches thereof in properinterlocking position With respect to the outlet box.

In attaching the supporting member to the box, it is only necessary toinsert the member through the opening in the rear wall of the box asdescribed above, and then tap the spreader arm by means of a screwdriver or other instrument which may be inserted into the box from thefront thereof. Thus, it is an easy matter for anyone installing thedevice of the invention to properly attach the supporting member to thebox without the use of auxiliary fastening devices and their attendinginconvenience. The advantage of the construction illustrated becomesapparent when it is considered that in using such devices a very smallamount of space is available for the manipulation of the respectiveelements and any attaching screws or the like which may be necessary. Byeliminating the necessity for such auxiliary attaching means, thepresent invention provides a device of great value.

After the supporting member has been mounted upon the box, a fixture orfixture fitting. may be properly screwed upon the threaded surface ofsides 9 and Hi to firmly attach the fixture to the supporting member.Previous to this, however, it will be understood that the cover plate ofthe box will have been attached thereto in the usual manner. In thepresent instance, such cover plate will be provided with a centrallydisposed aperture through which the end of the supporting member willextend, and shoulders l8 and 19 of such member will abut against therear surface of the cover plate (see Figs. 2 and 3). Thus, the coverplate will serve the additional functions of supporting thefixture-supporting member and preventing longitudinal forward motion ofthe member, and will thus cooperate with the previously discussedspreader arm and notches of this member to maintain it rigidly withinthe box.

The internal threaded surface of edge 20 is also adapted to receive afixture fitting. Thus the supporting member is provided with bothinternal and external threaded portions which are adapted to receiveexternally and internally threaded fixture fittings respectively ofdifferent sizes. This construction widens the range of use of the deviceand permits of its use with different fixture fittings.

The present invention also contemplates the use with the above-describednovel fixture-supporting member of the specially designed receptacle 5previously mentioned. Such receptacle may be suitably riveted orotherwise attached to asnpporting bracket 2| (see Fig. 2) which is bentas illustrated to provide a foot portion 22. This assembly may bemounted upon the cover plate of the box by welding or otherwiseattaching foot portion 22 of the bracket to the inside surface of thecover plate. The cover plate is provided with a second opening whichconforms in shape with the front portion of the receptacle so as toallow this portion to extend through the plate. The receptacle isprovided with the usual sockets 23 which are adapted to. receive prongs24 of plug 25 (see Fig. 6). As a feature of the invention, I provide anintegral extension 26 on the outer face of the receptacle and a recess21 on the face of the plug. When these members are operativelyassociated with each other, the extension 26 seats itself within recess21, provided the proper relation of the members exists. Should oneattempt, however, to associate the plug with the receptacle in adifferent manner, extension 2 will abut against the face of the plug toprevent complete insertion of the prongs within the sockets. In thismanner, correct polarity is insured in cases where it is important.While I prefer to have the fixture-supporting member and receptacle inthe relative positions shown,

it will be apparent that any other relative 130- i sitioning of thesemembers may be utilized.

In Fig. 7, there is shown a modified form of the device in which therear wall of the outlet box is specially formed to co-act with thefixture-supporting member. Instead of utilizing the usual knock-outopening in the rear wall of the box, as described above, thismodification of the invention contemplates the provision of raisedstrips 28 and 29 on the rear wall of the outlet box on each side of theopening. In other words, pairs of parallel slits may be cut in the rearwall of the box on each side of the opening and the strip of materialbetween such slits may be raised. In this manner, the raised portions 28and 29 may be made to serve as straps under which the feet of thefixture-supporting member may be inserted. The supporting member maytake the same form as in the preferred embodiment and the raisedportions of the box may be suitably shaped to properly co-act with themember. It will be apparent, however, that the elements of the devicemay be modified in the details of construction. In this embodiment, thesupporting member is associated with the box in a manner similar to thatalready described, the only difference being that the feet of the memberare inserted beneath the straps instead of through the opening of thebox. While this form of the invention is constructed in accordance withthe principles thereof, it will be apparent that it has the disadvantagethat the box must be slightly modified from its standard form to coactwith the fixture-supporting member.

From the foregoing description, it will be apto mount afixture-supporting member on the rear wall of an outlet box, but inprior art devices, such mounting necessitates the use of auxiliarylocking members, such as lock washers and the like, to firmly attach theelements together.

I claim:

1. A device for supporting a fixture from an outlet box, having a pairof resilient legs adapted when pressed toward each other for cooperativeassociation with a wall of said box and to thereafter move outwardly andengage portions of said wall, whereby said device may be attached tosaid wall, and means for preventing movement of said legs toward eachother, said means comprising an aperture in one of said legs and aspreader arm carried by and integral with the other of said legs, saidspreader arm having arestricted free end and adapted to be positionedlaterally between said legs to force its free end into said aperture.

2. A device for supporting a fixture from an outlet box, comprising amember formed of sheet metal having a flat face, a pair of spacedcoextensive legs extending from said face and having attaching feet,arcuate threaded sides extending transversely between said legs adjacentsaid face, and a spreader arm carried by one of said legs and adapted tobe positioned laterally between said legs.

3. A device for supporting a fixture from an outlet box, comprising amember formed of sheet metal having a fiat face with a threaded openingtherein for receiving a fixtin'e fitting, a pair of spaced coextensivelegs extending from said face and having shoulders, spaced from saidface, and attaching feet, and arcuate threaded sides between said faceand said shoulders and extending transversely between said legs, wherebythe threaded end of said member may extend through a box cover with saidshoulders abutting said cover.

4. A device for supporting a fixture from an outlet box, comprising amember having a pair of spaced coextensive resilient legs, which byvirtue of their resiliency may be pressed toward each other forcooperative association with a wall of said box, and which springoutward under the influence of their resiliency when released to engageportions of said wall and a spreader arm struck-out from one of saidlegs and bendable to a position laterally between said legs to maintainthem in outward positions.

5. A device for supporting a fixture from an outlet box, comprising amember formed of sheet metal having a pair of spaced coextensiveresilient legs, which by virtue of their resiliency may be pressedtoward each other for cooperative association with a wall of said box,and which spring outward under the influence of their resiliency whenreleased to engage portions of said wall, and a spreader arm struck-outfrom one of said legs and bendable to a position laterally between saidlegs to maintain them in outward positions.

6. A device for supporting a fixture from an outlet box, having a pairof resilient legs adapted when pressed toward each other for cooperativeassociation with a wall of said box and to thereafter move outwardly andengage portions of said wall, whereby said device may be attached tosaid wall, and means for preventing movement of said legs toward eachother, said means comprising a spreader arm carried by one of said legsand bendable to a position laterally between said legs.

JAMES MANGIN.

